As we all know, the HGTV series Flip or Flop starring Tarek and Christina El Moussa has spawned several spin-offs in cities including Nashville, Atlanta, Texas, Las Vegas and Chicago. Flip or Flop Vegas will be premiering on April 6, and will feature a new couple, Bristol and Aubrey Marunde. We have 7 things you need to know about the new HGTV and its stars:
7. Getting into the Business
The couple started working together in 2009. Bristol was interested in buying his first home and he and Aubrey ending up flipping it together, using his contracting know-how and love for demolition and her real estate expertise. He does the construction and she is responsible for buying and selling the property and all of the design work. Since getting into the business, they’ve completed more than 140 projects.
2
6. Getting Discovered by HGTV
HGTV producers tapped the couple for a show after they came across his Instagram profile, which featured before and after shots of their projects and video clips of the renovation process. Originally the show was going to be called High Stakes Flippers and only one episode aired last summer. The show received good ratings, but was put in limbo until it became Flip or Flop Las Vegas.
3
5. Show Format
The couple takes on a variety of projects on Flip or Flop Las Vegas, from a 3,000 square foot home in Green Valley with a $40,000 budget to a bachelor pad with a tight deadline. They will be working on a new home in each of the 13 episodes and viewers will see the design and construction process from beginning to end.
4
4. Their Backgrounds
Bristol originally moved from Sequim, Washington, to Las Vegas to become an MMM fighter! He fought in the show The Ultimate Fighter. Audrey is from Milton, Pennsylvania. She was pursuing a scholarship to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, when she got her real estate license. She bought her first house when she was only 20 years old!
5
3. Managing Business and Married Life
Although the couple has never met or received advice from Tarek and Christina El Moussa, they are confident that they can balance both married life and being business partners. “Being married and business partners, we find it’s an advantage for us,” Bristol said. “Of course there are issues that come up with construction and communication, and … you’re going to have to work on it. It’s about understanding what needs to get done and we’re both very objective with our relationship and with the project.”
6
2. Vegas Is a Totally Different Beast
The biggest differences between the real estate market in Southern California and Las Vegas is the pace. “Our properties buy and sell in a matter of hours, rather than days or months,” Aubrey said. Also, people in Vegas have different tastes than people in Southern California. “The casino industry really sets a standard for everyone – you see these high-end finishes in the casinos and buyers want that in their homes,” she added.
7
1. How They Met
They met back in 2009 while watching a UFC fight with mutual friends. After that, they went on one coffee date and quickly realized that they were meant for each other. “We decided right then and there that we wanted to settle down and be together,” Bristol said. Six years later, they were married. They have two sons together: Kale, 6, and Kane, 3.